The $2.3 billion Lengthy Bridge venture broke floor Tuesday with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and different elected officers readily available to show dust, in keeping with a information launch from the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority. The brand new span will enhance passenger rail service capability over the Potomac River and relieve one of many largest rail site visitors bottlenecks on the East Coast.
The brand new two-track railroad bridge between Arlington, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., will likely be constructed subsequent to the present Lengthy Bridge over the Potomac River, in keeping with the discharge. Jacksonville, Florida-based rail firm CSX owns the present, 119-year-old Lengthy Bridge, which carries each passenger and freight trains on its two tracks.
At present, passenger trains typically encounter delays as a result of freight trains have precedence on the shared tracks, in keeping with ABC7. Solely Amtrak and commuter trains like Virginia Railway Specific will use the brand new bridge, whereas freight trains will proceed to make use of the unique span, decreasing delays on each, per the announcement.
“In Virginia, our crippling site visitors has actually turn out to be a bipartisan situation, and the Lengthy Bridge groundbreaking represents our bipartisan resolution,” stated DJ Stadtler, govt director of the VPRA, within the launch. “But it surely’s not simply Virginians who will profit. Vacationers from Boston to Miami will really feel the consequences of this venture.”
The venture additionally permits rail service to develop to satisfy future demand, in keeping with the discharge. It represents the biggest of the commonwealth’s Remodeling Rail in Virginia efforts, and is a key milestone to its second wave of Virginia Railway Specific growth.
In addition to the principle new span, the venture additionally consists of 4 different smaller rail bridges and two new bridges for folks strolling and biking, per the venture web site.
The venture will likely be delivered by way of two predominant packages: For the Lengthy Bridge-North portion, VPRA chosen the three way partnership composed of Swedish builder Skanska and Broomfield, Colorado-based Flatiron. It picked a Flatiron and St. Joseph, Missouri-based Herzog staff to construct the Franconia-Springfield Bypass. VPRA is at present interviewing potential builders for the Lengthy Bridge South package deal.
Building actions together with web site preparation will start over the following few weeks, in keeping with the discharge, and large-scale building will start in 2025. The venture is scheduled for completion in 2030.
